Umbrella strut connection to hub

ABSTRACT

Umbrella apparatus for pivotally connecting an umbrella hub and strut, the combination comprising a holder, a keeper to receive and pivotally connect to said holder, one of the holder and keeper located on the hub, and the other of said holder and keeper located on the strut.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to connecting of an umbrella hub with a strut or rib allowing pivoting of the strut or rib relative to the hub.

[0002] The invention concerns improvements facilitating rapid easy and positive connecting, instead of complicated, time consuming connecting, of umbrella struts to umbrella hubs.

[0003] The traditional way of connecting such struts to hubs required providing a hole at one end of the strut for reception of a connector pin. The pin was inserted through that hole and into a groove in the hub, to hold the strut and hub in connected condition. A hub cap was then required to be applied to fit in position on the hub blocking the pin against popping out of position. It was found that assembly of these components was undesirably complicated and time consuming, for connecting multiple struts to a hub, since multiple pins had to be precisely located before the cap was applied. There is therefore need for improvements reducing complexity of assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is a major object of the invention to provide improved connecting structures meeting the above need, and eliminating need for a positioning cap. Basically, the improved structure comprises:

[0005] a) a holder,

[0006] b) a keeper to receive and pivotally connect to the holder,

[0007] c) one of the holder and keeper located on the hub,

[0008] d) the other of the holder and keeper located on the strut.

[0009] As will be seen, the keeper may be provided in the form of a hook, having a side recess to receive the holder. The holder may advantageously be a section of a ring on the hub, and extending about the hub axis, so that multiple keepers or multiple struts may be quickly and positively hooked onto exposed segregated sections, respectively, of the ring.

[0010] Another object is to provide a retainer located for retaining the holder connected to the keeper. That retainer may be movably carried by the keeper to move into position in response to application of the keeper to the holder, for retaining the holder connected to the keeper.

[0011] A further object is to locate the keeper or multiple keepers, holder or multiple sections of the holder, and retainer or retainers, beneath an umbrella canopy, when opened, for protection.

[0012] Yet another object is to provide a keeper having a housing defining a cavity, the retainer being movable in the cavity into holder blocking position.

[0013] These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which:

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

[0014]FIG. 1 is a side elevation, showing an umbrella hub, and pivotal connection to a rib or strut;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a view like FIG. 1, but showing an intermediate stage in the connection of the rib or strut to the hub;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a plan view of the underside of the hub; and showing multiple holder segments;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a hook-shaped keeper connectible to the rib or strut;

[0018]FIG. 5 is a side elevation showing a retainer;

[0019]FIG. 6 is a view like FIG. 4, and showing the retainer assembled to the keeper;

[0020]FIG. 7 is a section taken in elevation through a modified keeper or retainer;

[0021]FIG. 8 is an elevation showing another modified keeper and retainer assembly;

[0022]FIG. 9 is a plan view of the FIG. 8 assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Referring first to FIG. 1, an umbrella hub 1 is shown releasably connected to a rib or strut 2. A keeper 3 includes a hook shaped end portion 3 a receiving a holder 121 which is carried by the hub. Holder 121 may advantageously be a segment of a ring 121 a carried by the hub, multiple segments also indicated at 121 in FIG. 2, and separated by hub radially extending portions 1 a. Thus, holders or segments 121 are located to position multiple ribs or struts 2 at pre-determined holder locations spaced about the hub vertical axis 1 b.

[0024] Hook-shaped end portion 3 a has a head 31 of hook shape, a keeper recess being formed at 31 a. The keeper body 32 is configured for telescopic connection to the strut or rib 2, shown as fitting over body 32. A locating hole 322 in body 32 receives a pin or bent piece 21 that is received in holes 2 b in rib 2, to connect 2 to 32.

[0025] Recess 31 a is formed to hook downwardly over, and upwardly to receive the holder 121, into the position shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows an intermediate stage in this assembly, with holder 121 moving relatively upwardly at the recess entrance, as the keeper hook 31 moves downwardly.

[0026] A holder retainer 4 is carried by the keeper to block disconnection of the holder and keeper in the FIG. 1 positions of these parts. Retainer 4 is slidable endwise in a groove 3 a formed by the keeper, between a position blocking entrance of the holder into recess 31 a, and a position allowing such entrance at the recess mouth. The angled cam surface 41 on the end of the retainer is adapted to be pushed by the holder to slide the retainer away from the recess and allow holder entrance into the recess.

[0027] A curved spring element 42 at the opposite end of the retainer is yieldably compressed during such retainer movement. When the holder is fully received into the recess, as shown in FIG. 1, the spring element urges the retainer back into holder captivating position as shown in FIG. 1. The spring element 42 may consist of elastic plastic material, and may have sickle shaped curvature. It bears or pushes against interior wall 3 d of the keeper, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0028] During assembly, retainer 4 is fitted into keeper groove 3 a and the end of the rib or strut 2 is telescopically fitted over the keeper and retainer, as shown, holding them in assembled condition, with the retainer held between 31 and wall 3 d. The sides of the retainer are confined between three walls of the strut, and the keeper, the strut assembled endwise over the retainer. The keeper and retainer may then be fitted downwardly onto and over the holder 121, causing retainer 4 sliding and captivating movement, as referred to. The captivated holder will not then slide out of the recess 31 a, so that the rib or strut is pivotally and positively retained to the hub in a simple, easy to assemble manner.

[0029] In FIG. 7, the same structural elements bear the same numbers. One difference is the use of a compression spring 6 bearing endwise against the slidable retainer 5 at 6 a. Wall 3 e of the keeper holds the spring in compressed condition, and the nose 5 a of the retainer bears against hook wall 3 f, prior to entrance of the holder 121 into the recess 31. The retainer slides endwise between walls 3 e and 3 f of the keeper.

[0030] In FIGS. 8 and 9, a bendable flat spring 7 is carried by the hook shaped keeper at the entrance 16 to recess 17. the flat spring bends upwardly when the holder is pressed upwardly against it, to allow the holder to enter the recess 17.

[0031] The keeper and retainer at the ends of multiple ribs or struts are easily and quickly assembled to the holder ring 121 a, in response to simple downward displacement of the keepers as referred to, thereby to achieve a quick and positive assembly of the umbrella ribs or struts to the hub. The umbrella canopy, when opened, can then protectively extend over all such connections.

[0032] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the hub is slidable vertically on umbrella pole 63. 

I claim:
 1. In umbrella apparatus for pivotally connecting an umbrella hub and strut, the combination comprising: a) a holder, b) a keeper to receive and pivotally connect to said holder, in response to keeper movement onto the holder, c) one of said holder and keeper located on the hub, d) the other of said holder and keeper located on the strut.
 2. The combination of claim 1 including a retainer located for retaining the holder connected to the keeper, in response to said keeper movement onto the holder.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the retainer is carried by the keeper to block disconnection of said holder and keeper.
 4. The combination of claim 2 wherein the retainer is movably carried by the keeper to move into position for retaining the holder connected to the keeper.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the keeper is elongated, and has a side recess to receive the holder.
 6. The combination of claim 4 wherein the keeper is elongated, and defines a hook that has a side recess to receive the holder.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the holder is a section of a ring associated with the hub.
 8. The combination of claim 7 including multiple of said keepers with hooks receiving multiple of said sections, respectively, of the ring, said sections being annularly separated.
 9. The combination of claim 1 wherein the keeper is located at an end of said strut.
 10. The combination of claim 1 wherein the umbrella has a canopy, the holder and keeper protectively located beneath the opened canopy.
 11. The combination of claim 10 including a retainer located for retaining the holder connected to the keeper, and wherein the retainer is also protectively located beneath the opened canopy and movably carried by the keeper to move into position for retaining the holder connected to the keeper, in response to application of the keeper to the holder.
 12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the keeper is elongated, and has a side recess to receive the holder.
 13. The combination of claim 7 wherein the keeper has a housing defining a cavity, and the retainer is movable in the cavity into holder blocking position.
 14. The combination of claim 13 including an umbrella canopy overlying said keeper, holder, and side recess.
 15. The combination of claim 11 wherein the retainer is held assembled to the keeper by the strut.
 16. The combination of claim 15 wherein the retainer is elongated and held endwise between a keeper hook and a keeper interior wall. 